Department for Transport

M11: Construction

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to the construction of the new Junction 7a on the M11.

Rachel Maclean: Total project costs for the Junction 7a M11 scheme, including construction and widening of local link roads, is estimated to be around £81 million with an agreed funding contribution from Highways England of £41.7 million, which was provided to Essex County Council. Additionally, through the Department’s Large Local Majors programme, the scheme received £1.5 million of early development funding in 2017. The remainder of the project costs are being funded by Essex County Council and partners.

Assignation Statement (Prescribed Information) (Scotland) Regulations 1991

Ian Blackford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the effect has been of the Assignation Statement (Prescribed Information) (Scotland) Regulations S.I 2152/1991 (S.177).

Rachel Maclean: Roads and bridges in Scotland, including road user charges and tolls on them, are the responsibility of the Scottish Government.

Taxis: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps has he taken to support taxi drivers in Slough affected by the covid-19 outbreak.

Rachel Maclean: The majority of taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers are self-employed and can therefore apply for grants through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). Over the first three rounds of the scheme a total of up to £21,570 has been made available. HMRC will announce details of the fourth grant on 3 March 2021. Owners, operators and drivers of taxis and PHVs may also be eligible for locally administered grant schemes aimed at supporting businesses which have been forced to close, or which have been badly affected, by the pandemic, and should contact the relevant local authority for more information. The Government has launched a ‘support finder’ tool to help businesses and self-employed workers quickly and easily determine what financial support is available to them. In addition, the government has published guidance regarding actions that drivers, operators and owners of taxis or PHVs can take to protect against coronavirus. The government will shortly be publishing additional guidance on the use of screens to further improve safety for passengers and drivers.

Taxis: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made on the effect of the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021 on the private hire taxi sector in Slough.

Rachel Maclean: The lockdown restrictions announced in January 2021 are necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Government is working with the taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) sector, including the Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA), to understand the issues it is facing and explore how these can be addressed.

Taxis: Slough

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what financial support the Government is providing for the taxi and private hire sector in Slough during the covid-19 outbreak.

Rachel Maclean: The Government has announced several measures available to UK businesses, including the taxi and private hire sector, to support them through this challenging time. The majority of taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers are self-employed and can therefore apply for grants through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). Over the first three rounds of the scheme, a total of up to £21,570 has been made available. HMRC will announce details of the fourth grant on 3 March 2021. Owners, operators and drivers of taxis and PHVs may also be eligible for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) or the coronavirus Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS). In addition, some local authorities are using discretionary grants to support local businesses, including taxi and PHV businesses. Owners, operators and drivers of taxis and PHVs should contact the relevant local authority regarding these schemes. The Government has launched a ‘support finder’ tool to help businesses and self-employed workers quickly and easily determine what financial support is available to them.

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Facilities

Holly Mumby-Croft: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will ensure that haulage workers making long journeys are able to access (a) drive-throughs, (b) take-away restaurants and (c) toilet facilities.

Rachel Maclean: In seeking to support hauliers at this difficult time, the Secretary of State has written to and continues to remind all Motorway Service Area (MSA) operators of the importance of staying open and providing as many facilities as possible to Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers while adhering to public health guidelines. All motorway service stations in England can remain open to HGV drivers and essential workers, providing takeaway food only, toilet facilities and fuel. MSAs have also been given an exemption, along with other transport hubs, to have their seating within the concourse still available throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, because they offer a safe place for HGV drivers and other key workers to stop and rest. The Department for Transport has published a joint letter with the Health and Safety Executive on gov.uk, reminding businesses of their legal obligation to provide toilet and handwashing facilities to drivers visiting their premises as part of their work.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Business: Coronavirus

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans to expand the State Aid Temporary Framework and financial cap, in line with the EU expansion announced on 28 January 2021, for existing business support measures such as the Local Restrictions Support Grant.

Paul Scully: The EU State aid rules and limits no longer apply in the UK, except in respect of aid in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement, for example, Article 10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Subsidies must instead meet the terms of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) as well as the other Free Trade Agreements we have reached with the rest of the world and our WTO commitments. The State aid Temporary Framework provisions set out in previous iterations of local authority grant support guidance should still be applied to these schemes until further guidance on domestic subsidy control related to these schemes is issued. The Government is currently consulting on its proposed approach for establishing a bespoke UK-wide subsidy control regime. The Government is keeping under close review the impact of subsidy control rules on the ability of businesses to access grants and will publish new guidance as and when circumstances require it.

Government Assistance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his timetable is for the development of the new subsidy control regime to replace EU state aid rules; and whether he plans to introduce a formal consultation process on that regime.

Paul Scully: On 3rd February 2021, the Government published a consultation on designing a new subsidy control regime for the UK. The consultation can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/subsidy-control-designing-a-new-approach-for-the-uk The consultation will run for 8 weeks, until 31st March 2021, and invites views on the best way to design a bespoke approach to subsidy control that reflects the UK’s strategic interests and particular national circumstances. Subject to the outcomes of this consultation, the Government will bring forward primary legislation in due course to establish, in domestic law, a system of subsidy control that works for the entirety of the UK. This system will advance both the growth of the UK’s economy and the interests of its citizens, while reflecting our international obligations.

Local Restrictions Support Grant

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether there is a deadline for businesses to claim support via the Local Restrictions Support Grants (Closed) Addendum announced on 5 January 2021.

Paul Scully: The application closure date for the 42-day payment, in respect of the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum applicable from 5th January, is 31st March 2021.

Small Businesses

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will work with regulators to expand the definition of microbusiness in the (a) energy and (b) communications sectors to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises have access to redress.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The independent GB regulator, Ofgem, defines a microbusiness as - employing 10 or fewer full-time employees with an annual turnover of 2m Euros or less OR typically spending £10,000-£12,000 per year on gas or electricity. An energy supply licence obligates suppliers to proactively identify their microbusiness customers and provide information on their formal complaints process. If microbusinesses cannot resolve their complaints in this way, they can complain to the Energy Ombudsman. Ofcom, the independent UK telecommunications services regulator, has put in place general conditions, which all communication providers must follow, that offer protections to businesses of any size relating to specific provisions on contracting, tariff information, billing procedures and number porting. Ofcom's rules also provide additional protections to businesses with fewer than 10 employees, including access to alternative dispute resolution and protections against mis-selling. All providers must be registered with either the Consumer Ombudsman or the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution. The Government takes the view that larger businesses are better able to represent their interests by negotiating contracts for supply, and to make use of approved dispute resolution procedures where necessary.

Business: Carbon Emissions

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which businesses are on track to meet the Government’s 2050 net zero target.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: This year, the eyes of the world will be on the UK as we host the G7 and COP26. Business action on climate is vitally important to achieving a successful summit and presidency and meeting net zero emissions by 2050. Together these provide an excellent opportunity to showcase businesses as global leaders in tackling climate change in the year leading up to COP26.The Government has appointed my Hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs (Andrew Griffith) as the UK Net Zero Business Champion for COP26. Andrew will drive the action needed to encourage UK businesses to sign up to the Race to Zero. This sends the strongest signal to markets, supply chains, governments and consumers that businesses are committed to the Net Zero transition.We have met our emissions reductions targets to date, and to monitor emissions across all sectors of the economy, BEIS publishes an annual assessment of projected emissions, including those from business and industry, as part of the department’s Energy and Emissions Projections (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy-and-emissions-projections).

Employment

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Government plans to bring forward an employment Bill.

Paul Scully: The Government intends to bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows. We remain committed to delivering legislation that ensures we have an employment framework that is fit for purpose in the 21st century.

Flexible Working

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government plans to take to support (a) employers and (b) employees to develop flexible working practices for all people once the covid-19 outbreak has concluded.

Paul Scully: The Government has a made clear commitment to encourage flexible working and consult on making it the default unless employers have good reasons not to. A consultation will be issued in due course.I have also written to the Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development to commission a further 18 months’ work from the Flexible Working Taskforce to help inform the Government’s thinking as we develop new policies and navigate the impact of COVID-19 on how we work. The Taskforce can help to take forward the best of what has been learned through the pandemic and help support workers and employers to adapt to new ways of working on a more permanent basis.

Flexible Working

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Department plans to launch its consultation on making flexible working the default.

Paul Scully: The Government has a made clear commitment to encourage flexible working and consult on making it the default unless employers have good reasons not to. A consultation will be issued in due course.

Weddings: Coronavirus

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what economic impact assessment his Department has undertaken of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the extended closure of the wedding industry.

Paul Scully: Over the course of the pandemic the Government has provided an unprecedented package of financial support to businesses, including those in the wedding sector, which we keep under regular review. I meet regularly with representatives of the wedding sector to understand the impact of COVID-19 on wedding businesses.

Environment Protection

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government's Ten point plan for a green industrial revolution, published on 18 November 2020, which infrastructure projects will be funded as part of that plan; how funding for that plan will be distributed across Government departments; and what the planned timescale is for that funding to be spent.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Spanning clean energy, buildings, transport, nature and innovative technologies, the Ten Point Plan will mobilise £12 billion of government investment to unlock three times as much private sector investment by 2030; level up regions across the UK; and support up to 250,000 highly-skilled green jobs. The wide range of sectors with funding outlined in the Ten Point Plan span across Government Departments, including BEIS, DfT and DEFRA and further details of funding will be published over the course of this year through a number of sectoral strategies as well as a Net Zero Strategy. This includes a range of infrastructure projects funded through the Ten Point Plan. For example, we will be supporting the Offshore Wind industry, investing £160 million into modern ports and manufacturing infrastructure. We are currently running a competitive process to support the development of a large coastal manufacturing site for offshore wind. The deadline for applications was 8th January and we are currently assessing the proposals received. We will also be investing £1 billion through the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Infrastructure Fund which will provide industry with the certainty required to deploy CCUS at pace and at scale. Decisions have not yet been taken on how the Fund will be allocated. In parallel we will continue to develop and implement the necessary CCUS business models to enable deployment and unlock private sector investment in CCUS across power, industry and hydrogen production.

UK Emissions Trading Scheme

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to extend the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to the two thirds of uncovered emissions, as set out in the Energy White Paper.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) replaced the UK’s participation in the EU ETS on 1 January 2021. The UK ETS initially applies to energy-intensive industries, electricity generation and aviation. In the Energy White Paper, we committed to exploring expanding the UK ETS to the two thirds of uncovered emissions, including how the UK ETS could incentivise the deployment of greenhouse gas removal technologies. We will set out our aspirations to continue to lead the world on carbon pricing in the run up to COP26.

Coal: Cumbria

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the proportion of coal from the proposed coal mine in Cumbria which will be (a) burned for energy, (b) exported, and (c) used in domestic steel production.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: In their planning application to Cumbria County Council (https://planning.cumbria.gov.uk/Planning/Display/4/17/9007), West Cumbria Mining have stated that at full annual production the Whitehaven Mine will produce and sell 2.78 mega tonnes per annum of premium metallurgical coal for the use in steel making. Of this, 360,000 tonnes per annum is destined for use in the UK steel industry and the remaining 2.42 mega tonnes per annum is destined for European steel makers.

Green Homes Grant Scheme

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many applications for Green Homes Vouchers have been (a) received and (b) successful; and what the financial value is of those successful vouchers in the 2020-21 financial year.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: As of 8th February, 71,953 applications have been received for the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme, with 22,165 vouchers having been issued to customers. The value of these vouchers is currently £94.1 million.

Weddings: Coronavirus

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he made of the effect on women of job losses in the wedding industry due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Paul Scully: I meet regularly with the industry-led Weddings Taskforce, established to represent all parts of the UK Weddings sector, to understand the impact of COVID-19 on wedding businesses and jobs in the sector.

Delivery Services: Industrial Health and Safety

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken to ensure that couriers and delivery drivers are protected from the risk of covid-19 transmission.

Paul Scully: We have published guidance for people who work in or from vehicles, including couriers and delivery drivers. As couriers and delivery drivers cannot work from home, they should continue attending their workplace. Employees should work in the same team or shift pattern every day, maintain social distancing, limit time to load and unload vehicles, use electronic paperwork where possible and be trained on Covid-19 safety measures. When attending other peoples’ homes, couriers and delivery drivers should socially distance as much as possible, wear a face mask and sanitise their hands frequently.

Industrial Health and Safety: Coronavirus

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that members of the public protect themselves from the risk of covid-19 transmission from couriers and tradespeople calling at their homes.

Paul Scully: On 6 January, the Government updated its guidance for the public, couriers and tradespeople, on how to interact with households. During interactions, maintaining social distancing, using face masks (as appropriate), and ventilating areas, is vital to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Couriers and tradespeople are asked to minimise contact with households during deliveries, and to utilise electronic methods of payments where possible. They should also communicate with households prior to arrival, and on arrival, should maintain social distancing and good hygiene practices. Businesses should also establish if anyone is vulnerable in a home before entering. No work should be carried out in a household if anyone is vulnerable or at risk. Businesses need to ensure they take steps to protect both their customers and workers from the risk of Covid-19 transmission.

Department of Health and Social Care

Dementia: Medical Treatments

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to support the global goal of developing a cure or major disease-modifying treatment for dementia by 2025.

Helen Whately: United Kingdom researchers are at the forefront of global efforts to find a cure or a disease-modifying treatment by 2025. The 2020 Dementia Challenge commitment to spend £300 million on dementia research over five years was delivered a year early, with £344 million spent over four years. Significant elements in research are the £190 million UK Dementia Research Institute with a focus on basic science, the £43 million Dementias Platform UK supporting experimental medicine studies, and the National Institute for Health Research Translational Collaboration – Dementia, which brings together industry, academia and charities to deliver research from which patients will benefit.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of reviewing the covid-19 care home visiting guidance once care home staff and residents have received their full dosage of the covid-19 vaccine.

Helen Whately: This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we are constantly reviewing our guidance in line with policy changes, based at all times on the best scientific advice.  We have been consistently clear in our messaging that everyone must continue to follow the rules to protect the NHS and save lives, even after they have been vaccinated. We recognise how important it is to allow care home residents to meet their loved ones safely. We will be looking to enable a wider range of visiting arrangements when it is safe to do so. We will publish updated guidance as this period of national lockdown ends.

Dementia: Drugs

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the increased prescription of anti-psychotic drugs to people with dementia during the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately: NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to monitor the monthly data published by NHS Digital on the prescribing of antipsychotic medication for people diagnosed with dementia. NHS England and NHS Improvement have regular conversations with regional clinical network leads and local services to understand the patterns in prescribing and potential reasons for any trends.NHS England and NHS Improvement have also disseminated good practices and resources to support the management of COVID-19 for people with dementia through the NHS Futures Collaboration Platform, fortnightly forums and webinars with Dementia Clinical Networks across England. This includes resources to support non-pharmacological approaches to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia including adhering to public health advice for social distancing.

Coronavirus: Supported Housing

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the capacity for effective covid-19 infection control in supported living settings while access to testing is limited to symptomatic staff and residents.

Helen Whately: Our first priority continues to be to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and prevent future outbreaks and to ensure the health and safety of staff and residents. Following the rollout of a single round of national testing to the most high-risk extra care and supported living settings, we launched regular retesting, weekly testing for staff and monthly for residents. If a supported living or extra care setting has a suspected outbreak, they should contact their local health protection team immediately, who will undertake an initial risk assessment, provide advice on outbreak management and decide what testing is needed. Eligible settings must meet both of the following criteria: - A closed community with substantial facilities shared between multiple people; and- Where most residents receive the kind of personal care that is Care Quality Commission regulated.These criteria were set based on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies advice and in consultation with the sector to identify settings most similar to care homes and more likely to be at risk of an outbreak.

Screening: Staff

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on capacity in the imaging and diagnostics workforce.

Helen Whately: Health Education England (HEE) welcomes Professor Sir Mike Richards’ report ‘Diagnostics Recovery and Renewal’, which stated that major expansion and reform of the diagnostic services is needed over the next five years to facilitate recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and to meet rising demand across multiple aspects of diagnostics.HEE is working with system partners on the longer-term strategy that looks at the workforce needs beyond 2021. This planning is fully aligned with the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS People Plan and associated ambitions for further development of cancer services. This will include exploring sustainable growth beyond 2021 in key professions through continued investment in training places, with a greater focus on attracting and retaining students and improving the numbers of qualified professionals who go on to work in the National Health Service.

Dementia: Drugs

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the increased prescription of anti-psychotics to people with dementia during the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately: NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to monitor the monthly data published by NHS Digital on the prescribing of antipsychotic medication for people diagnosed with dementia. NHS England and NHS Improvement have regular conversations with regional clinical network leads and local services to understand the patterns in prescribing and potential reasons for any trends.NHS England and NHS Improvement have also disseminated good practices and resources to support the management of COVID-19 for people with dementia through the NHS Futures Collaboration Platform, fortnightly forums and webinars with Dementia Clinical Networks across England. This includes resources to support non-pharmacological approaches to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia including adhering to public health advice for social distancing.

Social Services: Coronavirus

Ed Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure care packages are re-implemented after the covid-19 outbreak without any requirement for further assessment.

Helen Whately: Assessments of social care packages under the Care Act 2014 have been continuing during the pandemic in the majority of areas. The Care Act easements were introduced by eight local authorities in total, but no local authorities are currently implementing these easements. It is for local authorities to decide whether a review or reassessment is required. Where care packages are reduced during the COVID-19 outbreak, local authorities may review the changes to ensure that all needs are being met.The Care Act 2014 requires that where an adult or carer appears to have care and support needs the local authority must carry out a care needs assessment. Once an eligibility determination has been made the local authority should then carry out a financial assessment to determine whether or not the person should pay anything towards their care.

Joint Biosecurity Centre

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many consultants Deloitte has deployed to work at the new Joint Biosecurity Centre since 16 March 2020; what the day rate was for each of those consultants; and what the total cost to the public purse has been of employing those consultants.

Helen Whately: No consultants from Deloitte have been or are employed in the Joint Biosecurity Centre.

Care Homes: Inspections

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Care Quality Commission will resume routine inspections; and how many care homes have not had an inspection for two years or more.

Helen Whately: At the start of the pandemic, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) paused routine inspections and adopted a risk-based approach utilising a range of information to target inspections where concerns are identified, such as localised outbreak data, whistleblowing, and data shared through system partners. Over the last six months, the CQC has carried out 4,300 inspections in adult social care.The CQC currently regulates 15,403 nursing and care homes. 6,056 of these have not had a cross-threshold inspection for two years or more. However, the CQC routinely interacts with care homes in a variety of ways outside of inspections, such as through regular engagement with registered managers, and through its Emergency Support Framework (ESF), developed during the pandemic to allow it to have structured, supportive, monitoring calls with providers. Additionally, since 1 April 2020, 17,273 individual adult social care locations have received an ESF call. The CQC’s future strategy will build on this experience and continue to involve more targeted and dynamic inspection visits.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the (a) scientific evidence and (b) his rationale for his Department's policy to extend the gap between covid-19 vaccine doses to 12 weeks.

Nadhim Zahawi: Estimates of efficacy of the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines and the rationale for the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is available in the statement published on 31 December which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prioritising-the-first-covid-19-vaccine-dose-jcvi-statement/optimising-the-covid-19-vaccination-programme-for-maximum-short-term-impactFurther supporting data has since been published on the AstraZeneca vaccine, which indicate high vaccine efficacy from the first dose of vaccine and better immune responses from the second dose with an extended schedule of up to 12 weeks. Data indicates protection from the first dose is maintained over a twelve-week period. This information is available at the following link:https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3777268The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers wrote to the medical profession regarding the COVID-19 vaccination programmes, stating that setting out a model where vaccinating twice the number of people in the next two to three months provides greater public health protection. The letter is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-to-the-profession-from-the-uk-chief-medical-officers-on-the-uk-covid-19-vaccination-programmes/letter-to-the-profession-from-the-uk-chief-medical-officers-regarding-the-uk-covid-19-vaccination-programmes

Care Homes: Visits

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all care homes follow the public health guidance on safe visiting during the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately: We have worked closely with a range of stakeholders who represent the sector to ensure that the guidance encourages and enables care providers to facilitate visiting while keeping residents, staff and visitors as safe as possible. The Care Quality Commission will include adherence to infection control measures for visitors as part of their infection prevention control inspections.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the proposal by One Dementia Voice of designating relatives of care home residents as key workers in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately: In the face of a new variant of the virus we have had to act to protect those most at risk in care homes and ensure visits can continue safely in some form. All care homes, except in the event of an active outbreak, should seek to enable outdoor visiting and ‘screened’ visits. Close-contact visits supported by testing are not currently enabled.As always, visits in exceptional circumstances such as end of life should always be supported and enabled

Care Homes: Visits

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the (a) clarity and (b) adequacy of implementation of the Government’s guidance on visitation rights for care homes and supported living settings.

Helen Whately: Updated visiting guidance, published 12 January, clearly outlines how visits to care homes can continue to take place during the national lockdown with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods, outdoors or through windows. Close-contact indoor visits are not currently allowed. Visits in exceptional circumstances including end of life should always be supported and enabled. We recognise that in supported living settings, the accommodation is the person’s own home.In this period of national lockdown, visits within support bubbles are still allowed for people in supported living settings. Supported living managers, care and support workers, individuals in supported living environments and their families and friends should follow national guidance on support bubbles and meeting others.

NHS: Staff

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, following the publication of the NHS People Plan 2020-21, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on developing a longer-term People Plan.

Helen Whately: The NHS People Plan is a shared programme of work to increase the workforce, support new ways of working and develop a compassionate and inclusive workplace culture in order to deliver the NHS Long Term Plan. We are working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement, Health Education England and with systems and employers to determine our workforce and people priorities beyond April 2021 to support the recovery of National Health Service staff and services. This will include building on many of the positive ways of working that have emerged through the pandemic whilst continuing to support the wellbeing of NHS staff.

Mental Health Services: Coronavirus

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the mental health support services available to NHS staff in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Helen Whately: Since the outbreak of the pandemic, we have increased health and wellbeing support for National Health Service staff including a mental health helpline, access to free wellbeing apps and specialist bereavement and psychological support. In addition, an extra £30 million is being invested to enhance occupational health services and to establish mental health hubs which will offer outreach and assessment services to help frontline staff receive rapid access to evidence based mental health services. We are also supporting the development of a national support service for critical care staff.

Care Homes: Closures

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) care homes and (b) nursing homes closed in 2020.

Helen Whately: The Department does not routinely collect data on care home closures. While the Care Quality Commission publishes data on care home deactivations, this is not the same as a closure. For example, a location may have deactivated and re-registered because it has made changes to its legal structure or changed address.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of (a) the potential merits of issuing new guidance, (b) demand for personal protective equipment, and (c) the adequacy of access to regular covid-19 testing to allow visits to care homes by family members for residents living with dementia.

Helen Whately: In the face of a new variant of the virus we have acted to protect those most at risk in care homes and ensure visits can go ahead safely in some form during the period of national lockdown. Visits can continue to take place with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods, outdoors or behind windows. Close-contact indoor visits are not currently advised. Visits in exceptional circumstances including end of life should always be supported and enabled. Prior to the national lockdown, we published updated guidance in December 2020 enabling visits to take place in all tiers. This was made possible by a nationwide rollout of testing and personal protective equipment for visitors.

Care Homes: Visits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether, once care home residents have received both covid-19 vaccinations, normal visits will be permitted by family members.

Helen Whately: While the vaccines provide protection to a vaccinated person from serious disease, we do not yet know if they prevent someone from passing on the virus to others. This means it is still important to follow the visiting guidance. We will be looking to ensure that a wider range of visiting arrangements are made available when it is safe to do so. We will publish updated guidance as this period of national restrictions ends.

Coronavirus: Learning Disability

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to protect people with learning disabilities from covid-19.

Helen Whately: We have extended the Infection Control Fund until March 2021 with an extra £546 million; provided free personal protective equipment for adult social care providers until March 2021; extended testing to all care homes and domiciliary care staff; added people with Down’s syndrome to the shielded patient list; and launched of regular retesting for high risk supported living settings. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advise that clinically extremely vulnerable individuals including adults with Down's syndrome are in priority group four and people with a severe and profound learning disability are in group six for the COVID-19.

Mental Health: Coronavirus

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he is having with (a) NHS England, (b) NHS Trusts and (c) NHS Foundation Trusts on the mental health effects of the covid-19 outbreak on staff; and what steps is he taking to provide additional mental health support to those staff, with particular reference to (i) the impacts of trauma and (ii) trauma counselling.

Helen Whately: We have worked closely with NHS England to put in place a comprehensive package of mental health and wellbeing services for staff, including counselling helplines, support for line managers to have health and wellbeing conversations with their staff and free access to mental health apps. Last autumn, we invested £30 million to strengthen mental health support and enhance occupational health in the National Health Service. This funding is being used to set up mental health hubs that will provide outreach and assessment services to help staff receive rapid access to mental health services.Staff referred will be treated by local mental health specialists and those with severe needs will be referred to a specialist centre of excellence. The investment will create a national support service for those deemed most at risk of severe trauma, such as critical care staff. Proactive engagement with staff is routinely undertaken to assess the mental health effects of the pandemic and understand what further support should be provided.

Social Services: Finance and Reform

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government will bring forward proposals for the (a) reform and (b) funding of adult social care.

Helen Whately: Reform of adult social care is a complex area and a range of options are being considered.The Government is committed to sustainable improvement of the adult social care system and will bring forward proposals this year.As announced in the 2020 Spending Review, the Government is providing local authorities with access to over £1 billion of additional funding for social care in 2021/22. This includes £300 million of new grant funding for social care, on top of the £1 billion social care grant introduced in 2020/21.

Mental Health: Coronavirus

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he is having with social care providers regarding the mental health effects of the covid-19 pandemic on staff; and what steps he is taking to provide additional mental health support, with particular reference to (a) the impacts of trauma and (b) trauma counselling.

Helen Whately: We have worked alongside the National Health Service and other organisations to develop a package of emotional, psychological and practical resources for the workforce and we are continually engaging with social care stakeholders throughout the pandemic to ensure that the most effective and impactful support is available.We have supported Hospice UK to extend its bereavement and trauma counselling helpline to social care staff. This service offers a safe space for care workers to talk to a professional if they have experienced bereavement, trauma or anxiety as a result of the pandemic.We have also provided specific wellbeing guidance on GOV.UK that signposts to the support available.

Midwives and Nurses: Students

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the emergency standards of the Nursing and Midwifery Council to reintroduce emergency education standards to enable final year nursing students to opt-in to support the response to the covid-19 pandemic through extended clinical placement, if he will ensure the same health and safety provisions under those standards are applied to (a) student midwives and (b) student nurses.

Helen Whately: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom and nursing associates in England. On 14 January 2021, the NMC made emergency changes to its education standards. The standards give flexibility to Approved Education Institutions (AEIs) to decide how to structure and apportion academic learning and clinical placements for nursing and midwifery students.AEIs retain responsibility for ensuring the health and safety of students in whatever capacity they are undertaking clinical placements. The NMC’s emergency standards require training providers to ensure placement allocations take account of current, relevant public health guidelines with due regard to the health and wellbeing of individual students.

Sewage and Waste Disposal

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the effect on the (a) sewage and (b) non-recyclable waste systems of home abortions since March 2020.

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether domestic waste companies and sewage treatment services were consulted before the approval of home use of both abortion pills in March 2020.

Helen Whately: No such assessment has been made.Domestic waste companies and sewage treatment services were not consulted before the temporary approval in March 2020.

Carers: Coronavirus

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing covid-19 testing and personal protective equipment to family carers on a similar basis to the provision of that equipment to care home staff.

Helen Whately: The family leave guidance published by NHS Employers in October 2020 sets out what an employer may consider should a member of staff who is currently on family leave -maternity, adoption, or shared parental leave - indicate that they would like to return to work early or for a period of time to support the National Health Service during the pandemic.Employers will need to carry out a risk assessment and provide appropriate facilities in accordance with the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 for any employee returning from a period of maternity leave, in particular mothers who are breastfeeding.

Alzheimer's Disease: Diagnosis

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Royal College of Nursing on early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease through identification of vulnerable brain cells.

Helen Whately: The Department has had no such recent discussions.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle vaccine misinformation.

Nadhim Zahawi: We are working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to help social media platforms identify and take action against incorrect claims about the virus in line with their terms and conditions. This includes anti-vaccination narratives that could endanger people’s health.The Government created the cross-Whitehall Counter Disinformation Unit in March 2020, bringing together cross-Government monitoring and analysis capabilities to tackle online misinformation and disinformation. The Counter Disinformation Unit looks for trends on social media platforms so that we can work with them and other partners to respond to misleading content rapidly. Given the importance of protecting freedom of expression, this can be a range of actions from labelling, to downranking, to removal where there is significant risk of harm, in line with a platform’s terms and conditions.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the findings of YouGov's survey for Queen Mary University of London that 39 per cent of ethnic minority and 70 per cent of white people living in London said they were likely to have the covid-19 vaccination, how the Government’s vaccination public information campaign plans to target Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure take-up of the covid-19 vaccine in Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to encourage take up of the covid-19 vaccine in BAME communities.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department is working with Public Health England, NHS England and NHS Improvement and key stakeholders to encourage uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine among black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. The Department is also working with community press, TV and radio stations to deliver information on vaccination in over a dozen languages. Activity is also focusing on working with trusted voices such as healthcare personnel, faith leaders, community influencers and community organisations for priority multicultural audiences, with a particular focus on Muslim, Polish, black African and Caribbean and Jewish communities. The Department is building on pre-existing relationships and established channels as well as reaching out to more influencers through virtual sessions.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to prioritise funeral directors and staff for the covid-19 vaccine alongside health and care home staff.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Green Book Immunisation Against Infections Disease chapter on COVID-19, states that hospital-based laboratory and mortuary staff who frequently handle COVID-19 or collect or handle potentially infected specimens, including respiratory, gastrointestinal and blood specimens should be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination as they may also have social contact with patients. This may also include cleaners, porters, secretaries and receptionists in laboratories. Frontline funeral operatives and mortuary technicians/embalmers are both at risk of exposure and likely to spend a considerable amount of time in care homes and hospital settings where they may also expose multiple patients, therefore they should also be eligible for vaccination.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the recent example set by Singapore, what discussions his Department has had on when maritime key workers will be prioritised for covid-19 vaccinations.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department has had a number of discussions on the prioritisation of key workers. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccines the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. The JCVI’s advice has stated that phase one of the vaccine programme will have the prevention of mortality at the forefront of its objectives, as well as to support the National Health Service and social care system. Maritime staff who are eligible for a vaccine, based on the JCVI’s prioritisation, will be offered a vaccine in line with clinical advice. Prioritisation decisions for the next phase delivery of the vaccine are subject to information, surveillance and monitoring data from phase one, as well as further advice from independent scientific experts such as the JCVI. Phase two may include further reduction in hospitalisation and targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of prioritising for covid-19 vaccination people who live with those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and who are suffering from blood cancer.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of vaccinating household members of people living with blood cancer in the second phase of thecovid-19 vaccination programme.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccine/s the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. The JCVI has advised that the first priorities for any COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of COVID-19 mortality and the protection of health and social care staff and systems. Therefore, in line with the recommendations of the JCVI, the vaccine will be initially rolled out to the priority groups. This includes care home residents and staff, people over 80 years old and health and care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and risk, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and those aged 16-64 years old with certain underlying health conditions. Individuals with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment are considered clinically extremely vulnerable and will be eligible for a vaccine. Anyone with a history of haematological malignancy should be offered a vaccination at priority group six. Consideration has been given to vaccination of household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals. However, at this time there is no data on the size of the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on transmission. Evidence is expected to accrue during the course of the vaccine programme and until that time the JCVI is not in a position to advise vaccination solely on the basis of indirect protection.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the vaccination of maritime workers by Singapore, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on prioritising maritime workers for covid-19 vaccination.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has had a number of discussions with Cabinet colleagues on prioritisation for COVID-19 vaccination. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccine/s the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on who should be offered the vaccination first. The key principles are to reduce mortality, to protect the health and care systems and save lives. For the first phase, the JCVI has advised that the vaccine be given to care home residents and staff, as well as frontline health and social care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors. Prioritisation decisions for the next phase are subject to surveillance and monitoring data and information from phase one, as well as further input from independent scientific experts such as the JCVI. Phase two may include further reduction in hospitalisation and targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on public health of giving priority vaccinations to the carers and households of clinically extremely vulnerable people.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccine/s the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. For the first phase, the JCVI has advised that the vaccine be given to care home residents and staff, as well as frontline health and social care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors. Included in this are those with underlying health conditions, which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality.  All frontline social care workers directly working with people clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 who need care and support irrespective of where they work. Whether they care for clinically vulnerable adults or children or who they are employed by will be prioritised for a vaccine as the JCVI has advised. Other groups at higher risk, including those who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill, will be offered vaccination alongside people with underlying health conditions in priority group six. Consideration has been given to vaccination of household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals. However, at this time there is no data on the size of the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on transmission. Evidence is expected to accrue during the course of the vaccine programme and until that time the JCVI is not in a position to advise vaccination solely on the basis of indirect protection.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to categorise police staff as a priority group for the covid-19 vaccine.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccines the United Kingdom should use and provide advice on prioritisation at a population level. The JCVI in their advice has stated that phase one of the vaccine programme will have the prevention of mortality at the forefront of its objectives, as well as to support the National Health Service and social care system.  For the first phase, the JCVI has advised that the vaccine be given to care home residents and staff, as well as frontline health and social care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors. Included in this are those with underlying health conditions, which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality. Police staff who are eligible for a vaccine, based on the JCVI’s prioritisation, will be offered a vaccine in line with clinical advice. Phase two may include further reduction in hospitalisation and targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services.

Department for Education

Remote Education

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support is available for families on low incomes in (a) Slough and (b) England that are required to purchase educational resources as a result of school closures during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: The Department continue to expect all primary schools, secondary schools, and further education (FE) institutions in England to provide remote education for the majority of their pupils and students. The Government is providing over £400 million to support remote education and online social care, including securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people. This includes over one million laptops and tablets that were delivered to schools, FE institutions, academy trusts and local authorities by 15 February 2021. More information on the number of devices delivered to schools, trusts and local authorities can be viewed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/laptops-and-tablets-data/2021-week-7. The laptops and tablets are to help support schools, academy trusts and local authorities to provide access to remote education and online social care. Schools, colleges, academy trusts and local authorities are responsible for distributing the laptops and tablets and are best placed to know which children and young people need access to a device. The Department has also made £4.84 million available for Oak National Academy both for the summer term of the academic year 2019-20, and then for the 2020-21 academic year, to provide video lessons in a broad range of subjects for Reception up to Year 11. All four major mobile network operators, Vodafone, O2, Three and EE, have also committed to working together to make access to Oak National Academy free for school children. The Department is grateful to BT and EE, who have made access to BBC Bitesize resources free from the end of January 2021. The BBC has adapted their education support for the 2021 spring term and is making educational content available on the television. This helps to ensure all children and young people can access curriculum based learning from home, even if they do not have access to the internet. The Department is aware that this is a challenging time for parents, carers, and children and that many parents and carers are balancing various responsibilities while supporting their children with education at home. The Department has published information for parents and carers on remote education and how they can best support their child while being taught from home. This includes resources and advice to help parents and carers on how to establish a routine with their child, and how best to support mental health and wellbeing during this period. The published information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supporting-your-childrens-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19?priority-taxon=b350e61d-1db9-4cc2-bb44-fab02882ac25. Parents and carers should not feel that they need to set work and/or are required to purchase educational resources for their child. If parents or carers feel they need further support or additional materials for their children, they are encouraged to discuss this with their school or FE institution first.

Students: Coronavirus

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress he has made with the QAA, professional bodies and the Office for Students on ensuring that (a) undergraduate and (b) postgraduate students studying during the pandemic leave university with valuable qualifications that reflect their achievements and give them parity in future job markets.

Michelle Donelan: I have met with key professional bodies and providers to discuss how we can ensure students can graduate with professional status and move into their chosen fields and will continue to do so.Higher education (HE) providers are responsible for the administration of their own exams and assessments and will build on the experience of last year’s arrangements.We expect providers to ensure that continuing and prospective students receive the clear, accurate and timely information needed to make informed decisions. This includes making students aware of any potential for changes to arrangements for the administration of exams and/or assessment at the earliest opportunity. Providers will make their own judgements based on the latest national and local public health guidance, taking account of the need to minimise risk to staff and students.The Office for Students (OfS), the HE regulator in England, has produced information and guidance setting out expectations about provider approaches to teaching and assessment of both undergraduates and postgraduates during this time, further details are available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/guidance-on-quality-and-standards-during-coronavirus-pandemic/. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has also published resources for providers on practical ways in which students can complete their studies whilst ensuring quality and standards are upheld – further details can be found here: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/news-events/support-and-guidance-covid-19.The government will continue to work closely with the QAA, professional bodies and the OfS to ensure students continue to leave university with qualifications that have real value, reflect their hard work and allow them to progress.

Harlow College: Finance

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much additional funding has been allocated to Harlow College under the (a) Getting Building Fund and (b) recent funding made available for T-Level delivery.

Gillian Keegan: Significant central government funding has been provided to Harlow College for proposed remodelling of buildings, which will support T level delivery. This includes capital recently awarded through the T levels capital fund to support the delivery of Construction, Digital and Health and Science. £1.5 million of the Getting Building Fund, administered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, has also been awarded to extend the scope of the remodelling to provide additional workshop spaces, higher quality teaching areas, and a sustainable energy centre. This supports significant job creation in key sectors for Harlow and the surrounding areas.

Remote Education: ICT

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to support school pupils and families with access to (a) technology and (b) broadband and WiFi in (i) Slough and (ii) England (A) during the covid-19 outbreak and (B) in the long term.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to ensure that school pupils and their families have access to the educational resources they need to support learning at home in (a) Slough, (b) the South East and (c) England during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release published by his Department on 20 December 2020 entitled One million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people, what progress has been made on distributing the 440,000 devices to assist pupils with home learning.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that all children in (a) Slough and (b) England have access to (i) a device, (ii) broadband and WiFi, (iii) stationery and (iv) space for home schooling.

Nick Gibb: The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services, including securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people. This significant injection of laptops and tablets is on top of an estimated 2.9 million already owned by schools before the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.The laptops and tablets are to help support schools, academy trusts and local authorities to provide access to remote education and online social care. Schools, colleges, academy trusts and local authorities are responsible for distributing laptops and tablets and are best placed to know which children and young people need access to a device.As of Monday 15 February, over one million laptops and tablets have been delivered to schools, trusts, local authorities, and further education providers. This includes over 490,000 laptops and tablets delivered since the 4th January 2021. We are making further deliveries all the time and expect to achieve our overall commitment of delivering 1.3 million devices by the end of the spring term.We have partnered with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data to help disadvantaged children get online as well as delivering 60,000 4G wireless routers for pupils without connection at home.A number of these laptops, tablets and routers have been delivered to Slough local authority and academy trusts in Slough, details of which are available through this link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/laptops-and-tablets-data/2021-week-7.Where pupils continue to experience barriers to digital remote education, we expect schools to work to overcome these barriers. This could include distributing school-owned laptops or supplementing digital provision with different forms of remote education, such as printed resources or textbooks. This should be supplemented with other forms of communication to keep pupils and students on track or answer questions about work.Guidance, resources and support for teachers and school leaders on educating pupils and students during the current COVID-19 restrictions are available on the get help with remote education page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-help-with-remote-education.We know this is a challenging time for parents, carers, and children and that many parents and carers are balancing various responsibilities while supporting their children with education at home. We have published information for parents and carers on remote education and how they can best support their child while learning from home, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supporting-your-childrens-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19?priority-taxon=b350e61d-1db9-4cc2-bb44-fab02882ac25. This includes resources and advice to help parents and carers on how to establish a routine with their child, and how best to support mental health and wellbeing during this period.Some pupils and students who have difficulty engaging in remote education may be considered to be vulnerable children and young people and therefore eligible to attend provision. It is up to the child or young person’s education provider or local authority to make this decision. The decision would be based on the needs of the child or young person and their family, and a range of other factors as set out in the guidance here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision#vulnerable-children-and-young-people. Lack of access to a device and/or the internet in itself does not automatically mean that the child is vulnerable.

Remote Education: ICT

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress has been made on the provision of dongles for the purpose of home education online.

Nick Gibb: The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services, including securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people.To date, over 60,000 4G wireless routers have been delivered to pupils without a connection at home.We have also partnered with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data to help disadvantaged children get online. We are grateful to EE, Lycamobile, O2, Sky Mobile, Smarty, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Mobile, BT Mobile and Vodafone for supporting the mobile data offer. We are currently engaged with additional mobile network operators and continue to invite a range of mobile network providers to support the offer.

Pupils: Coronavirus

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of year 7 to 11 secondary school pupils have had their parents' consent to be tested for covid-19 in school.

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of year 7 to 11 secondary school pupils have had their parents not consent to their being tested for covid-19 in school.

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of year 7 to 11 secondary school pupils have had their parents abstain from giving permission to their being tested for covid-19 in school.

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of year 12 and 13 pupils have (a) not self-consented and (b) had their parents not consent on their behalf to their being tested for covid-19 in their academic setting.

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of year 12 and 13 pupils have (a) abstained and (b) had their parents abstain on their behalf on their being tested for covid-19 in their academic setting.

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of year 12 and 13 pupils have (a) self-consented and (b) had their parents consent on their behalf to their being tested for covid-19 in their academic setting.

Nick Gibb: Schools are the individual data controllers responsible for processing any personal data, including obtaining and maintaining records of consent, for testing carried out on their sites. As part of testing, schools share data on tests carried out with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), at which point DHSC becomes the data controller. Therefore, the Department for Education does not hold the requested information.

Students: Coronavirus

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to follow the Northern Ireland Executive in giving students a £500 payment due to the disruption caused to their education by the current lockdown.

Michelle Donelan: The government is aware of the disruption caused to education due to the current lockdown but we will not be providing cash payments to individual students, instead we created a wider support package to aid students during this difficult time. We are making available an additional £50 million of hardship funding this financial year. In total we have made £70 million of funding available for student hardship given the £20 million made available to higher education providers in December 2020. This is a difficult and uncertain time for students, but we are working with the sector to make sure all reasonable efforts are being made to enable students to continue their studies and to ensure students are able to access the support they need. The new student hardship support will really benefit those students most in need by putting money into their pockets. The £70 million of student hardship funding will be distributed by the Office for Students to higher education providers in the approved (fee cap) category of registration, who will have flexibility in how they distribute the funding to students, including international and self-funded students, in a way that will best prioritise those in greatest need. We would encourage all students who need assistance to reach out to their university as soon as possible.

Adoption Support Fund

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the budget is for the Adoption Support Fund for the financial year 2021-22.

Vicky Ford: Following the Spending Review settlement in November 2020, the department is finalising individual programme allocations for the 2021-22 financial year. The budget for the Adoption Support Fund will be considered as part of that process.

Department for Education: Data Protection

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to publish his (a) response, (b) agreed actions and (c) timetable for change to the Information Commissioner's compulsory audit of his Department, published on 7 October 2020, which was due to be published in January 2021.

Nick Gibb: The official departmental response to the 2020 Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) data protection audit of the Department for Education is publicly available and was deposited in the House Libraries 28 January 2021. The document can be found through the following link: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2282906/files.The Department continues to work with the ICO to deliver against the recommendations identified within the audit report. The official response sets out that the Department is committed to a programme of work and will publish a further update in June 2021.

Educational Visits: Coronavirus

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to lift the ban on residential trips so that the (a) School Travel Sector Stakeholder Group and (b) other organisations can plan for reopening.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of underwriting school deposits for residential trips to provide that sector with a cashflow and help ensure it is ready to reopen as soon as conditions allow.

Nick Gibb: Schools are advised against all educational visits at this time. This advice will be reviewed in February 2021. Due to the uncertainty of when and how COVID-19 national restrictions will be lifted, at this time providing a specific date for the resumption of educational visits would be inappropriate. Further guidance for schools can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.Officials will continue to work across Government, with industry bodies and sector representatives to address the issues arising from the COVID-19 outbreak and will help them plan for the safe reintroduction of educational visits, including residential educational visits, when it is safe to do so.There are no plans for underwriting of school deposits for residential trips.

Pupils: Coronavirus

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to allow children with Education, Health and Care plans repeat a school year where the parents and school believe that this is in their best interest as a result of the educational consequences of the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: Despite restrictions to schools for the majority of pupils, teachers and school staff are working extremely hard to give face-to-face education to vulnerable children (this includes those who have an education, health and care plan) and the children of critical workers.Once a child has been admitted to a school, it is for the head teacher to decide how best to educate them. This may, on occasion, include deciding that a child should be educated in a year group other than the one indicated by their age. Such decisions should be based on sound educational reasons and in consultation with parents.The Department does not currently anticipate that children and young people will need to repeat a school year as a consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak. We continue to look at all options to make sure children and young people get the support they need to continue their education during the outbreak and make up for time spent out of school.However, it remains possible for headteachers to agree this in individual cases, if they think it is appropriate.

Schools: Coronavirus

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will update the guidance entitled Children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings, to provide a list of specific critical worker roles.

Nick Gibb: The Department has made guidance available on Children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision. This sets out the high-level role types which can be considered critical to the COVID-19 outbreak or EU transition response. The list in the guidance is not exhaustive, but it should offer sufficient information to help parents and carers to identify if their work falls under one of the umbrella groups. Parents whose work is critical to the COVID-19 outbreak and EU transition response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors. Children with at least one parent or carer who is a critical worker can go to school if required. Schools should speak to parents and carers to identify who needs to go to school, and parents and carers who are critical workers should keep their children at home if they can. The Department knows that every school will have a different number of children of critical workers who need to attend. It is important that on-site provision is provided for these pupils. There is no limit to the numbers of these pupils who may attend, and schools should not limit attendance of these groups. We expect schools to work with critical worker parents to ensure their child is given access to a place if it is required, so that parents can continue providing vital services. This is because we are reducing overall social contact across areas and the country rather than individually by each institution. The Department publishes weekly national-level data on pupil attendance. The latest published data (for 4 February) shows that attendance in state primary schools in England was at 23% and at 5% in state secondaries: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak. In aggregate, attendance so far this term has been much lower than full attendance – on average only 5% of secondary pupils and 20% of primary schools pupils have been attending face-to-face, and so we are seeing the desired reduction in social contacts.

Free School Meals: Voucher Schemes

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will investigate for what reason pupils eligible for free school meals attending independent special schools cannot access the Free School Meals Voucher scheme.

Vicky Ford: Independent schools, including independent special schools and special post-16 institutions, are not able to access the national voucher scheme as they have no statutory nor regulatory duty to provide free school meals, and are not funded to do so by the department.Maintained schools and academies are supported by the scheme as both types of school are under a duty to provide free school meals under section 512ZB of the Education Act 1996. Non-maintained special schools can also access the scheme because they have an identical duty to provide free school meals to eligible pupils under the Non-Maintained Special Schools (England) Regulations 2015.Where a placement in an independent special school has been funded on a discretionary basis by a local authority, any payments for meals, including meals where the pupil is absent from school, would be subject to the terms and conditions of the placement agreement.If families need urgent help, they can contact their local council to find out what services are available in their area. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-local-help.During February half term, vulnerable families will continue to receive meals and other essentials through the £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme, as they did during the Christmas holidays. Launched in November 2020, the scheme is helping families struggling with the costs of fuel and food and is ringfenced, with 80% earmarked to support families until the end of March 2021.

Ministry of Justice

Juries: Key Workers

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether people categorised as key workers during the covid-19 outbreak remain exempt from being called for jury service.

Chris Philp: In line with the Juries Act 1974, jurors are summoned randomly by the Jury Central Summoning Bureau (JCSB) using the Electoral Voting Registers. The registers are a list of everyone who has registered themselves as eligible to vote which are supplied to HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) by every Local Authority each year. At the point of being called for jury service a person’s occupation is not known. At this time, the Government does not expect frontline emergency services staff, including those in the NHS, Police and Fire Service, to be serving on juries. Anyone in these groups, or any Key Worker working in any other frontline role, who is summoned for jury service should contact the JCSB. While by law we cannot automatically defer jurors, HMCTS has issued guidance to help staff deal sympathetically with all requests from the public who wish to be released or deferred from jury service as a result of COVID-19. Each application for deferral/excusal is considered on its own merit, in a way that is both fair to the individual and consistent with the needs of the court in providing a representative jury. We are keeping the situation under constant review. We have published further details here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-courts-and-tribunals-planning-and-preparation#jury-trials-and-jury-service

Treasury

Personal Care Services: VAT

Sir Alan Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will introduce a 5 per cent reduction in VAT for the hair and beauty industry in the forthcoming spending review.

Jesse Norman: The temporary reduced rate of VAT was introduced on 15 July to support the cash flow and viability of over 150,000 businesses and protect 2.4 million jobs in the hospitality and tourism sectors, and will run until 31 March 2021. This policy will cost over £2 billion. The Government keeps all taxes under review, and any future decisions on tax policy will be made at Budget. The Government has announced a significant support package to help businesses from a whole range of sectors through the winter months, which includes an extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, an extension of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant, and an extension of the application window for the Government-backed loan schemes.

Weddings: Coronavirus

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending business rates exemptions and the temporary VAT reduction for businesses in the wedding industry to relieve the financial pressure on the sector resulting from the covid-19 outbreak.

Jesse Norman: This year the Government has provided an unprecedented business rates holiday for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties due to the direct adverse effects of COVID-19, worth over £10 billion, and has frozen the business rates multiplier for all businesses for 2021-22. The temporary VAT reduced rate came into effect on 15 July 2020 and was initially scheduled to end on 12 January 2021. In order to continue supporting the cash flow and viability of over 150,000 businesses and to protect 2.4 million jobs, the Government extended the temporary reduced rate of VAT (five per cent) to goods and services supplied by the tourism and hospitality sectors until 31 March 2021. The Government continues to keep all taxes under review, and any tax decisions will be made at Budget. The Government has provided various schemes to support firms overall, including Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans, Bounce Back Loans, grants and VAT deferrals.

Museums and Galleries: Tax Allowances

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recommendations made by the UK alliance of visual art networks in their letter and written evidence  submitted to his Department on 20 January 2021 on the extension of Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Government keeps all tax reliefs under review, and regularly receives proposals for changes to tax reliefs. The Government has committed to reviewing MGETR before its expiry in 2022. When considering potential changes, HM Treasury must ensure they provide support to businesses across the economy in a fair way and represent good value for money for the taxpayer.

Video Games: Tax Allowances

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential economic merits of the Independent Game Developers' Association's proposal for an increase in the rate of video games tax relief from 25 per cent to 32 per cent.

Jesse Norman: In 2019-20 the Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) supported UK expenditure of £355 million on the production of 150 video games. The Government keeps all tax reliefs under review, and regularly receives proposals for changes to tax reliefs. When considering changes, HM Treasury must ensure they provide support to businesses across the economy in a fair way and represent good value for money for the taxpayer.

Job Retention Bonus

Henry Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will reintroduce the Job Retention Bonus at an increased rate of £6,000 per employee retained in the business who have either been fully or part-time furloughed.

Jesse Norman: The objective of the Job Retention Bonus (JRB) was to incentivise employers to retain employees between November, when the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) was due to end, and the end of January through a £1,000 bonus paid to the employer. However, the subsequent extension of the CJRS allowed employers to retain their staff during that period by covering 80% of furloughed employees’ wages. Given this extension to the end of April, the policy intent of the JRB falls away. The Government remains committed to deploying a retention incentive set at a suitable level, at the appropriate time.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether furlough payments under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme from March 2021 will be calculated using employees pre-covid-19 outbreak earnings.

Jesse Norman: For those on their employer’s payroll on 19 March 2020, the usual salary under the CJRS will be calculated based on their earnings prior to that date. An alternative calculation is used for newer employees who were first reported by their employer after 19 March 2020. Guidance on calculating how much can be claimed under the CJRS can be found on GOV.UK.

Protective Clothing: VAT

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to Answer of 29 January to Question 142820, whether the Government is applying VAT to face coverings that do not meet the standards set out by Public Health England.

Jesse Norman: The standard rate of VAT applies to most goods and services, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and face coverings. Face coverings were not included in the temporary zero-rate on PPE, which came into effect on 1 May 2020 and ended, as legislated, on 31 October 2020.

Aviation: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Henry Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until end of July 2021 for aviation sector employees.

Jesse Norman: The Government will set out the next phase of the plan to tackle the virus and protect jobs at Budget 2021.

Non-domestic Rates: Coronavirus

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to extend the 100 per cent Business Rates Relief discount for a further year to mitigate the ongoing effect of the covid-19 pandemic on businesses and retailers.

Jesse Norman: This year the Government has provided an unprecedented business rates holiday for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties due to the direct adverse effects of COVID-19, worth over £10 billion, and has frozen the business rates multiplier for all businesses for 2021-22. The Government has provided various schemes to support firms, including wholesalers, including Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans, Bounce Back Loans, grants and VAT deferrals. The Budget will set out the next phase of the Government’s plans to tackle the virus, protect jobs and support business.

Business: Insurance

Royston Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the insurance industry promptly settles claims for business interruption caused by the covid-19 pandemic.

John Glen: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules require insurers to handle claims fairly and promptly and settle claims quickly once settlement terms are agreed. The FCA has said that, in light of COVID-19, insurers must consider very carefully the needs of their customers and show flexibility in their treatment of them. The Government is pleased that a final judgment has been reached by the Supreme Court in the FCA Business Interruption test case and trust that this will provide the legal clarity urgently sought by policyholders. The FCA has set out its expectation that insurers should move quickly to resolve claims as determined by the judgment, making interim payments wherever possible.

Financial Services Compensation Scheme: Credit

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on extending the Financial Services Compensation Scheme to payday lending companies.

John Glen: The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) is the compensation scheme of last resort for customers of failed UK-authorised financial services firms and is funded by a levy on the financial services industry. The FSCS is an independent non-governmental body and carries out its compensation function within rules set by the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), they have the power to decide which activities are given FSCS protection. In 2016, the FCA decided not to extend FSCS protection to most consumer credit activities because it believed other regulatory requirements were sufficient. The FCA’s reasoning for not extending FSCS protection was set out in a letter on 15 February 2019 from its Chief Executive to the Chair of the Treasury Select Committee. This reasoning was that consumer credit firms did not generally hold client assets; losses to consumers had reduced since the FCA had taken over regulation of consumer credit; and, because the cost of providing FSCS cover for high-cost short-term credit would likely need to be subsidised by levies on other regulated firms. A copy of that letter can be found here: https://www.parliament.uk/globalassets/documents/commons-committees/treasury/correspondence/2017-19/fca-chief-executive-to-chair-re-wonga-150219.pdf. Treasury ministers and officials meet regularly with the FCA, and the Government will continue to work closely with the FCA to ensure consumers of financial services are treated fairly.

Credit Unions: Corporation Tax

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of amount raised in corporation tax from credit unions in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen: I refer the Hon Member to the answer that I gave on 9 February (UIN 146759).

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

West Bank: Demolition

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Israel on the demolition of structures provided as humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians living in the West Bank.

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the reported demolition by the Government of Israel of a donor-funded water network serving 700 Palestinians during the covid-19 pandemic.

James Cleverly: The UK regularly raises demolitions with the Government of Israel. The Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa called on Israel to stop demolitions on 5 February 2021 and raised his concerns about demolitions of Palestinian and humanitarian structures with the Israeli Ambassador on 29 October 2020. UK officials from the British Consulate in Jerusalem have made regular visits to areas at risk of demolition and eviction to reiterate UK support for those communities. The UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The practice causes unnecessary suffering to Palestinians and is harmful to the peace process.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) his counterparts in the G7 and (b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential need for ongoing annual financial support to ensure the suppression of covid-19 in low- and middle-income nations; and if he will make statement.

James Cleverly: The UK is at the forefront of the international COVID-19 response, committing up to £1.3 billion of new ODA to counter the health, economic, and humanitarian impacts of COVID-19, including £500 million to COVAX to provide vaccines to low- and middle-income countries. We have also adapted over 300 existing programmes to respond to the challenges created by COVID-19.The UK will continue to play a leadership role, including through our G7 Presidency, to strengthen the international response to, and recovery from COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries. Investing in global health is one of seven ways the UK will prioritise ODA in 2021, to tackle COVID-19 and promote global health security.We have supported the multilateral development banks to make over $200 billion available to developing countries and will continue to work with the International Financial Institutions and Development Finance Institutions to support a green, inclusive, and resilient recovery globally.

Belarus: Press Freedom and Human Rights

Huw Merriman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterpart in the Belarussian Government on (a) the case of the arrest and detention of independent journalist Andrei Aliaksandrau and his wife Irini Zloblina and (b) freedom of the press and human rights in Belarus.

Wendy Morton: The Government is deeply concerned by the continuing attacks on media freedom in Belarus. There have been more than 400 reported incidents of persecution of media figures in Belarus. The Government has repeatedly called on Belarus to release journalists who have been arbitrarily detained and hold to account those responsible for attacks on journalists, including the case of Mr Aliaksandrau. The Government has increased financial support to independent media organisations in Belarus and condemns the actions of the Belarusian authorities in international fora. I spoke out on Belarus at the UN Security Council (Arria Forum) on 11 January. As co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition, the UK was joined by 25 other nations in a statement, which condemns the authorities actions against journalists in Belarus and which highlights the plight of Mr Aliaksandrau.

Selehattin Demirtas

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his international counterparts on the release of Selehattin Demirtas former co-President of the HDP who has been in detention in Turkey since 2016.

Wendy Morton: We regularly raise human rights issues with the Turkish authorities. I did so in December 2020 with my Turkish counterpart. We remain concerned about the four-year imprisonment of Selahattin Demirtaş, former co-chair of the People's Democratic Party (HDP), in Turkey. With our international partners, we call on Turkey to meet its obligations as a founding member of the Council of Europe and release Demirtaş from his extended pre-trial detention. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will supervise the implementation of the judgment in Demirtaş (No.2) v Turkey, a process in which the United Kingdom actively participates. Working with our international partners, we will continue to encourage Turkey, including at Ministerial level, to act in line with the conventions of the Council of Europe and to make greater progress on wider human rights reforms.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what changes she has made to the universal credit system to comply with the Court of Appeal judgement of 22 June 2020 on assessing two wage payments received within a single assessment period.

Will Quince: The Universal Credit (Earned Income) Amendment Regulations 2020 were laid in October 2020, so for cases affected by this issue, monthly earnings can be reallocated to another assessment period. To support this, we have designed a tool which interacts with the Universal Credit Service to allow the redistribution of earnings where appropriate, with guidance having been issued to staff to ensure that where an issue is identified, the correct remedial action is taken. Automated identification of affected claimants is expected to be implemented in early 2021. This will allow us to proactively correct Universal Credit awards before they are paid without the claimant needing to raise the issue.

Kickstart Scheme: Scottish Borders

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many new job placements have been created in the Scottish Borders as part of the Kickstart Scheme.

Mims Davies: I refer my Right Honourable friend to PQ 145013

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Aquariums and Zoos: Coronavirus

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he is having with zoos and aquariums in relation to providing information which would give those organisation sufficient preparation time to allow them to open up their attractions to the public later in 2021.

Victoria Prentis: I am aware of the pressure that the current coronavirus restrictions are placing on zoos and recognise this has been an extremely tough time for the sector. The Government has not yet announced how and when the current coronavirus restrictions applying to zoos and aquaria will be eased. In preparation for an announcement, we have worked closely with BIAZA (British and Irish Association for Zoos and Aquariums) on their reopening guidance to ensure that zoos and aquariums have the information on how to open safely. Defra officials have also met with the CEOs of the largest chartable zoos and BIAZA to understand the measures that zoos have put in place to manage social distancing. We are also aware that a number of zoos and aquariums have secured the Visit Britain 'We’re Good To Go’ COVID-19 industry standard and consumer mark. This mark provides reassurance that the business adheres to Government and public health guidance and that the necessary COVID-19 safety processes have been put in place.

Biodiversity

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies on improving the natural environment of the findings of the Final Report, The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review, published by HMT on 2 February 2021.

Rebecca Pow: The Government thanks Professor Dasgupta for his independent Review on the Economics of Biodiversity, and its considerable contribution to the important issue of global biodiversity loss. Protecting and enhancing our natural assets, and the biodiversity that underpins them, is crucial to achieving a sustainable, resilient economy. The Government will draw on the strong intellectual basis provided by the Review to drive the ambitious change and investment needed to protect and enhance the natural environment. The UK Government has recently taken numerous actions to address biodiversity loss including: announcing support for a global target to protect 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030; committing to protect 30% of the UK’s land by 2030; committing to invest at least £3 billion over five years in climate change solutions that protect and restore nature and biodiversity; launching the £640 million Nature for Climate Fund to plant more than 40 million trees and restore 35,000 hectares of peatland in England; legislating to prevent illegal deforestation in the supply chains of large UK companies; pioneering the Leaders Pledge for Nature, which has now been signed by 82 countries; and strengthening Government guidelines for policy appraisal to ensure environmental impacts are taken into account. The Government will examine the Review’s findings closely and respond formally in due course on the ways in which the government intends to draw and build on the Review, both domestically and internationally.

Water: Meters

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to bring forward legislative proposals to mandate the universal rollout of smart water meters.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) there are sufficient incentives supporting the Water Industry to install smart water metering technology and (b) barriers to rollout of that technology are removed.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the role of smart water meters in (a) protecting the sustainability of the UK’s water supply and (b) reducing carbon emissions.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to co-ordinate its work with regulatory bodies on supporting the water industry in the roll-out of smart water meters to protect the sustainability of the UK’s water supply and reduce carbon emissions.

Rebecca Pow: The Department will set out its policy in relation to smart meters in the Government’s response to the 2019 consultation on measures to reduce personal water consumption, which we intend to publish in 2021.

Electrical Control Equipment: Sulphur Hexafluoride

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of banning the use of SF6 as an insulating material in electrical installations on the energy network.

Rebecca Pow: The Department has a legal requirement to review the F gas Regulation and publish a comprehensive report by no later than 31 December 2022. This will include a review of the availability of technically feasible and cost-effective alternatives and will include an assessment of the use and alternatives to SF6 in electrical installations. The Department is now beginning internal work on the review and intends to engage with stakeholders on this work later this year.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's timeframe is for the review to remove the use of fluorinated gases.

Rebecca Pow: The UK has a legal requirement to review the Fluorinated Gas (F gas) Regulation and publish a comprehensive report of this review by no later than 31 December 2022. The Department is now beginning internal work on the review and intends to engage with stakeholders on this work later this year. The review will include an assessment of opportunities for faster and further action on phasing down F gases.

Home Office

Official Secrets

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Queen's Speech background briefing, published 19 December 2019, when the Government plans to publish its response to the Law Commission's report on Protection of Official Data.

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of recommendation 33 of the Law Commission's September 2020 report, Protection of Official Data.

Kit Malthouse: As set out in the Queen’s Speech, the Government will be introducing new legislation to tackle the evolving threat of hostile activity by states. As part of this work, we are considering a range of powers, including reviewing the Official Secrets Acts.We welcome the work of the Law Commission in their review on the Protection of Official Data, and are carefully considering their recommendations. This work is ongoing and has not yet reached a conclusion.

Palace of Westminster: Police

Ms Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many officers are in the Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team; and who the head of that team is.

Kit Malthouse: The Metropolitan Police Service Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team (PLaIT) is made up of seven members of staff in total, including the Head of PLaIT. We are unable to give further details on the Head of the team, at this time; however, all Members’ of Parliament are able to make direct contact with PLaIT and the Head of PLaIT through dedicated, known communication channels.

Home Office: Amazon Web Services

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what competitive procurement process was followed in the awarding of the G-Cloud 12 Call-Off contract to Amazon Web Services in December 2020.

Kit Malthouse: The Crown Commercial Service (CSS) G-Cloud 12 framework procurement process was followed.

Asylum: Homelessness

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she taking to prevent homelessness among asylum-seeking and refugee women during the covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support (a) homeless and (b) other asylum-seeking and refugee women during the covid-19 pandemic.

Chris Philp: Asylum seekers who are destitute and do not have adequate housing or the means of obtaining it are provided with accommodation from the Home Office, as well as other support to cover their essential living needs. This is in line with our statutory duties.Individuals granted refugee status become eligible to the same local authority assistance with housing that is available to British Citizens and other permanent residents of the UK.

Offences against Children: Convictions

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign nationals convicted as a result of investigations into grooming gangs have (a) been deported from and (b) remain in the UK.

Chris Philp: The information is not available to the level of detail requested. The Home Office publishes data on Returns of foreign nationals in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of Returns of FNOS from the UK are published in table Ret_02 of the Returns ‘summary tables’.Child Sexual Exploitation is an abhorrent crime and has no place in our society. This Government is absolutely determined to do all it can to tackle it. The new national Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy sets out our response to all forms of child sexual abuse, including how we will work across government, law enforcement, safeguarding partners and industry to root out offending, and protect and help victims and survivors to recover and rebuild their lives. This Government’s priority is keeping the people of this country safe and we are clear that foreign criminals should be deported from the UK wherever it is legal and practical to do so. Any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity. Since January 2019 we have removed 6,450 foreign national offenders.

Asylum: Coronavirus

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to allow people in receipt of Aspen cards  under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 to be able to obtain cash with those cards so that they can self-isolate when required during the covid-19 outbreak.

Chris Philp: For asylum seekers supported under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and who are accommodated in full board accommodation (such as hotels) a small weekly cash allowance is provided to allow for the purchase of essential items.For those supported under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in Dispersed Accommodation they continue to have cash loaded onto their card which can be used on a chip and pin basis in stores across the UK. However, for those asylum seekers who are shielding or self-isolating our service providers have extended their wraparound services and will assist with the provision of food and other items where required.

Domestic Abuse

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will extend the Ask for ANI Scheme to people who are housebound due to the covid-19 pandemic so that (a) people at risk can speak to pharmacy delivery workers to access domestic abuse support and (b) the necessary training can be provided to those delivering from pharmacies to people’s homes.

Victoria Atkins: Home should be a safe place but for those confined with an abuser it is clearly not, that is why the ‘Ask for ANI’ codeword scheme is so important.There are currently more than 2,600 pharmacies participating in the codeword scheme nationwide. Since its launch a few weeks ago, we have seen the scheme been used by a range of victims. We maintain an ongoing sign-up process, and are seeing more pharmacies sign-up each week.Evaluation of the codeword scheme has begun, and we expect early findings in the Spring. Using the evidence collected we will explore options for further expansion of the scheme into other settings.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications to the EU Settlement Scheme are being processed each week on average; and what the average waiting time is for applicants submitting an application to that scheme.

Kevin Foster: The latest published information shows the total number of concluded applications to the EU Settlement scheme was 4.68 million up to 31 January 2021.The latest figures can be found on the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ web page available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics.Applications concluded by month and decision type are published in the detailed quarterly release – ‘EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics, September 2020’. The statistics for October to December 2020 will be released on 25 February 2021.Our aim is to process all applications to the EU Settlement Scheme as expeditiously as possible. Complete applications are usually processed in around five working days.More information about processing times for applications under the scheme is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-application-processing-times/eu-settlement-scheme-pilot-current-expected-processing-times-for-applications

British Nationality: Applications

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what fee changes she plans to propose for British Citizenship applications in the 2021-22 financial year.

Kevin Foster: We keep our fees for immigration and nationality applications under review and ensure they are within the parameters agreed with HM Treasury and Parliament, as set out in Section 68 (9) of the Immigration Act 2014. Child citizenship registration fees are the subject of current litigation. While the court case is ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment on next steps.

Biometric Residence Permits

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Service Level Agreement for the delivery of Biometric Residence Permits with TNT/FedEx, in what proportion of cases did TNT/FedEx not meet their first attempt delivery time targets, from 1 October 2020 to 1 February 2021.

Kevin Foster: Delays to customers receiving their Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) can be for various reasons, relating to their individual application. This could be as a result of the following:Biometrics not properly captured at the point of enrolment resulting in the BRP failing to progress to production after the decision to grant leave to remain or enter has been made.Delay in the verification of the National Insurance Number process between UKVI and DWP. Subject to testing, an Application Programme Interface (API) is being introduced at end of February 2021 to speed up and reduce risk of error in this process.A caseworker failing to request production of the BRP at point of decision.Variable address quality issues may result in our delivery partner FedEx failing to be able to deliver the BRP.Inability of FedEx to access property to deliver package securely.Customer failing to arrange re-delivery after first delivery attempt.Customer not present at address at time of delivery.Customers failing to keep UKVI informed in good time of change of address.Delays within UKVI Change of Address Team resulting in delays in updating UKVI systems with up to date addresses.Customer failing to collect BRP within 90 days from a Post Office.In December 2020 UKVI identified a failure relating to biometric enrolments through our overseas enrolment partner TLS, which was capturing oversized photographic images. This prevented 5,585 BRPs being produced between September 2020 and December 2020. On 22 January 2021 we wrote to all those customers affected to inform them of the problem. A technical fix has now been identified to resolve the problem and enable all the affected BRPs to be produced. The fix was introduced on 8 February 2021, all affected BRPs successfully printed on 9 February 2021. Customers affected will be written to on 10 February 2021 to inform them when their BRP will be either ready to collect from their chosen Post Office or delivered by FedEx to the address they provided during the application process.UKVI does not hold figures relating to how many BRPs were delivered within ten working days, and we are unable to measure this from point of decision to point of delivery, through our supplier’s systems.The DVLA, which produces BRPs, has an SLA to complete 90% of production requests within one working day and the remaining 10% within two working days. Between 1 October 2020 and 1 February 2021 it achieved 58.8% produced within 24 hours, and 95.4% within 48 hours. 4.6% took longer than 48 hours to produce.The production of BRPs outside the 48 hour target was the result of a production failure at DVLA over a three working day period between 22 – 26 October 2020. The average processing time of the 19,250 affected was three working days. DVLA has not breached the 48 hour target since this date.UKVI meets with DVLA weekly to monitor performance. The impacts of Covid-19 restrictions and safe working practices have reduced staffing capacity within the production site and contributed to the delays experienced.Our secure delivery partner FedEx has a service level agreement to attempt first delivery of a BRP for 99% of packages collected from DVLA within 48. Between 1 October 2020 and end of December 2020, the latest assured figure available, FedEx achieved 92.4%.FedEx does not keep figures relating to the average time it takes for the BRP to be delivered after the first delivery attempt. Successful re-delivery relies on the customer contacting FedEx to re-arrange delivery within 30 days of FedEx receiving the BRPs.FedEx has a detailed improvement plan in place, and we meet with them twice a week to progress actions within the plan. We are confident that we will see improvements in service as they are implemented.UKVI does not hold figures in relation to the number of delivery enquiries that were not responded to within the five working day SLA. However, we can confirm that the team responsible for responding to these enquiries are currently taking up to 30 working days to respond to enquiries. A recovery plan is being put in place with the aim to return to service levels by end of May 2021 subject to being able to onboard and train staff quickly.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Community Infrastructure Levy: Coronavirus

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to amend the Planning Act 2008 to allow Town and Parish Councils to support emergency covid-19 community groups with funding that has been received through the Community Infrastructure Levy.

Eddie Hughes: The Neighbourhood Share of the Community Infrastructure Levy ensures that up to 25 per cent of levy revenue is passed to a parish council in the area that development occurred, and provides considerable flexibility over the use of the funding. Parish councils can use the levy to fund anything concerned with addressing the potential demands that development places on their area. This includes provision which may respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as medical infrastructure.More generally, the Secretary of State has written to principal authorities asking them to work closely with parish councils in order to ensure that the funding support provided to principal authorities has the maximum effect where it is most needed. We continue to encourage parish and town councils to work with their principal authority where they are delivering vital services that have been affected by COVID-19.

Evictions and Repossession Orders: Coronavirus

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent representations he has received on (a) extending the ban on (a) evictions and (b) repossessions while the national lockdown remains in place.

Eddie Hughes: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is in regular contact with landlord and tenant stakeholder groups and is working closely with the Ministry of Justice to consider the effects of the current measures relating to evictions and bailiff enforcement.

Local Government: Private Finance Initiative

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the (a) start date and (b) expiry date is of PFI contract for each local authority.

Eddie Hughes: This data is published, and the most recent publication is available here:   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/private-finance-initiative-and-private-finance-2-projects-2018-summary-data.

Buildings: Insulation

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Housing of 1 February 2021, Official report column 691, when the Department plans to make the further announcement on the removal of cladding.

Eddie Hughes: The Secretary of State made an announcement in Parliament on 10 February of a decisive five-point plan to end the cladding scandal once and for all.To protect leaseholders, we are providing direct funding for the remediation of unsafe cladding from buildings over 18m in height. This is in line with longstanding expert advice on which buildings are at the highest risk.Buildings below 18m will not carry the same inherent risk as a building above 18m, however some will need remediation, so to give residents in lower-rise buildings peace of mind, we are also establishing a generous scheme to ensure, where required, cladding removal can take place on buildings between 11 and 18 metres.We are also committed to making sure no leaseholder in these buildings will have to pay more than £50 per month towards this remediation.This builds on steps already taken to support leaseholders, including £1.6 billion of funding to remediate unsafe cladding, the £30 million waking watch fund to help end excessive costs and new legislation in the Building Safety Bill which will ensure homes are made and kept safer in future.

Northern Ireland Office

Prescriptions: ICT

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many GP practices have adopted electronic repeat dispensing; and what steps he is taking to increase uptake of electronic repeat dispensing.

Mr Robin Walker: The Health Minister, Robin Swann, is leading the response for health matters in Northern Ireland as health is a devolved matter, within the competence of the Northern Ireland Executive. This includes addressing how many general practitioners' (GP) practices have adopted electronic repeat dispensing (eRD). The UK Government encourages GP practices across the UK to use electronic repeat dispensing (eRD) where clinically appropriate and Academic Health Science Networks have been supporting this. It is vital we reduce GP workloads where possible, while ensuring patients’ are as protected as possible. For more detailed information, I would recommend you engage with the Department of Health on this matter.

Department for International Trade

Fossil Fuels

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Government's policy on aligning UK international support for the clean energy transition, as announced by the Prime Minister on 12 December 2020, whether (a) ports, (b) airports and (c) other fossil fuel associated infrastructure which are built to facilitate the development of fossil fuel projects and petrochemical facilities which make use of oil and gas will be precluded from overseas UK assistance.

Graham Stuart: The Government will provide further details underpinning the policy shift, alongside the government’s response to the consultation that closed on 8th February.

Fossil Fuels: Finance

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether UK Export Finance will continue to consider requests for support for fossil fuel projects during the consultation process on aligning UK international support for the clean energy transition.

Graham Stuart: As the Prime Minister stated in his announcement on 12 December 2020, the government will continue to apply current policy for all in-scope activities, until the new policy is implemented following the consultation.

Fossil Fuels: Finance

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what proportion of (a) UK Export Finance and (b) official development assistance investments in fossil fuel projects in the last five years have been made in gas projects which would fall under the exclusions identified in the Government consultation on aligning UK international support for the clean energy transition.

Graham Stuart: Until the Government has completed its assessment of the responses to the consultation and finalised the policy in this area, details of the final parameters of the exemptions remain subject to change. Additionally, as this policy was neither in place nor under consideration during the period in question, UK Export Finance (UKEF) does not hold sufficient data to assess whether an exemption could have been applied to certain projects which otherwise could not be supported under the new policy. Similarly, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not hold sufficient data about official development assistance in the form required. Consequently we are unable to provide this information other than at disproportionate cost.

Overseas Trade: Israel

Craig Tracey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2021 to Question 146961 on Question for Department for International Trade, what sectors have been identified for further cooperation with Israel beyond the continuity trade agreement.

Graham Stuart: The United Kingdom-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement entered into force on the 1 January 2021. The agreement provides an ambitious framework to continue to grow our future trading relationship, which totalled £4.9 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2020. We have identified opportunities to deepen our bilateral trade relationship in sectors such as financial services, infrastructure, and technology. We will work with our Israeli counterparts to realise these including through reinstating plans to host a UK-Israel Trade and Investment conference in London.

International Trade: Trade Promotion

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2021 to Question 142762 on Department for International Trade: Trade Promotion, which companies are delivering those contracts; how those companies were chosen to deliver those contracts; and how the performance of those companies is monitored by her Department.

Graham Stuart: The Department for International Trade has contracts for trade advisor services with the following companies: South EastNewable LtdLondonNewable LtdSouth WestGWE Business West LtdEast MidlandsEast Midlands Business LtdWest MidlandsWest Midlands International Trade LLPEast of EnglandExemplas Trade Services LtdNorth EastNorth East Worldwide LtdNorth WestChamberlink LtdYorkshire & HumberEnterprise Growth Solutions Ltd The companies were selected via a competitive open procurement procedure in April 2015 that was advertised on OJEU (Official Journal for the European Union) and Contracts Finder, the government’s procurement portal. Performance is monitored through monthly contract review meetings to track delivery against targets and key performance indicators, as well as via qualitative survey feedback. Targets/Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are reviewed annually to ensure they align with government priorities.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Telecommunications Systems

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the number of vulnerable people who will be affected by the switch off of the Public Switched Telephone Network.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the switch off of the Public Switched Telephone Network on businesses in the UK.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has to communicate the switch off of the Public Switched Telephone Network to (a) residential consumers and (b) businesses.

Matt Warman: The retirement of the public switched telephone network (PSTN), and its replacement with Internet Protocol technology, is being led by Openreach and Virgin Media, as the relevant infrastructure owners. Openreach and Virgin Media have publicly set out their plans to withdraw these services by the end of 2025. The migration is likely to affect all fixed exchange lines, of which there are 31.3 million in the UK. Ofcom estimates that 81% of UK households have a landline service, with 4% of UK adults living in a home with a landline and no mobile phone and 3% of UK households having only a landline without any broadband. The government, Ofcom, and industry are working to ensure that the needs of vulnerable consumers are considered and Ofcom regularly monitors how communication providers are taking steps to ensure they identify and protect vulnerable customers. In June 2020, the Broadband Stakeholder Group, a government advisory forum on telecoms policy, launched the ‘Future of Voice’ website. This consumer-facing website is designed to inform the public and businesses of the PSTN switchover process. The website has been developed with the support of telecoms companies, Ofcom and DCMS. The government will also continue to work closely with various stakeholders, including the telecoms industry, Ofcom, and other government departments to ensure the country is prepared for the withdrawal of the PSTN, and will continue to consider the best course of action to prepare for the migration.

Social Media: Crime

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that individuals in the UK who publish criminal acts or statements on social media can be brought to justice.

Caroline Dinenage: Whilst the vast majority of social media usage has nothing to do with serious violence, we know there is evidence of harmful and/or illegal content available online which glorifies violence and criminality. That is why we have provided £1.5million to the Metropolitan Police Service to deliver the Social Media Hub which includes a dedicated team of police officers and staff. This additional police resource is taking action against online gang related material, focusing on investigative, disruption and enforcement work against specific gang targets, as well as making referrals to social media companies so illegal and harmful content can be taken down.

Daniel Kinahan

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies on the regulation of the sport of boxing of the allegations made in the BBC's Panorama programme on the role of Daniel Kinahan in that sport, broadcast on 1 February 2021.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that professional boxing in the UK or associated with the UK is not influenced by people alleged to be involved in organised crime.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to bring forward legislative proposals on improving the regulation of professional boxing in the UK or associated with the UK.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to introduce a fit and proper person test for those involved in professional boxing consistent with such tests used in other professional sports.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to introduce proposals on the regulation of people who act as advisers to professional boxers.

Nigel Huddleston: While fit and proper persons tests do exist within other sports to ensure propriety of ownership in club structure, these are a matter for the national governing bodies, concerning corporate ownership, and in line with company law.We do not intend to intervene in this autonomy at this time but we expect national governing bodies and competition structures to put adequate levels of protections in place.This Government takes the matter of tackling corruption in sport seriously, and this is why we have played a leading role in developing the International Partnership against Corruption in Sport.

Youth Centres: Closures

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of local youth clubs that have permanently closed since April 2020.

Mr John Whittingdale: My department does not hold data around the number of youth clubs that have closed since April 2020. Government recognises the important role that youth groups play in communities, which is why we recently announced the £16.5 million Youth Covid-19 Support Fund (YCSF) that will protect the immediate future of grassroots and national youth services across the country. The YCSF opened on Friday 15 January 2021 and will remain open until 19 February. It will help to mitigate the impact of lost income during the winter period due to the coronavirus pandemic, and ensure services providing vital support can remain viable. This funding will be drawn from the unprecedented £750m package for the voluntary and community sector. More than £60m of this has already been directed towards organisations supporting children and young people.

National League: Coronavirus

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what level of restrictions will be lifted for clubs in steps 4-6 in the National League to allow fan attendance after the covid-19 lockdown period.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of clubs in steps 4-6 of the National League on (a) mental wellbeing, (b) community projects, (c) economic prosperity and (d) other aspects of the local community.

Nigel Huddleston: Football clubs at all levels make a significant contribution to their local communities. National League clubs have demonstrated this more than ever throughout the pandemic, from delivering care packages for the vulnerable through to raising money for front-line charities, they are at the heart of their communities. The Government therefore confirmed that Steps 3-6 of the National League System will receive up to £10 million of grant support from the Sports Winter Survival Package. This is being distributed at pace by the Football Foundation. This funding is designed to protect the immediate future of approximately 850 clubs over the winter period. We also understand the importance of spectators to these clubs and have shown our commitment to getting fans back into stadia when infection rates are reduced. The Prime Minister is due to set out a roadmap to recovery in the week commencing 22 February.

Festival UK* 2022: Tickets

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the revenue accruing to the public purse from ticket sales for Festival UK 2022.

Caroline Dinenage: There are no plans to sell tickets for any events in Festival UK 2022.

Festival UK* 2022

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much of the £120 million budget for Festival UK 2022 he plans to allocate to (a) Scotland, (b) the Queen's Platinum celebrations, (c) the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and (d) Coventry City of Culture.

Caroline Dinenage: £120 million has been announced for Festival UK 2022. There are Barnett allocations to Scotland and the other home nations from the £120 million budget, which is administered by HM Treasury. None of this funding has been allocated to The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, or Coventry City of Culture.

Cultural Heritage: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on that government's proposals to support (a) historic houses and (b) the wider heritage sector during the recovery from the covid-19 outbreak.

Nigel Huddleston: Heritage is a devolved matter and as such, the Secretary of State has not met with the Welsh Government to discuss the above. He has however held meetings with the UK-wide organisation the National Trust on heritage sector recovery. DCMS officials have worked with representatives of Cadw and Historic Houses (representing 26 properties in Wales) throughout the pandemic, including the Heritage COVID Working Group which both are invited to. I also met with the President and Director General of the Historic House Association. This organisation represents more than 1,600 private and charitably owned historic country houses, including 26 houses in Wales. At this meeting, the short, medium and long term recovery of the sector were discussed.

Gaming: Coronavirus

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether adult gaming centres are non-essential retail as classified in the Government’s Shops Guidance; and if he will bring forward legislative proposals to enable those centres to reopen with other non-essential retail when covid-19 lockdown restrictions are lifted.

Nigel Huddleston: The government has published guidance to help businesses understand how to make workplaces Covid-secure and help tackle the spread of the virus. Adult Gaming Centres should follow the shops and branches  guidance in addition to Bacta’s specific guidance for FECs and AGCs  to ensure they can operate as safely as possible when they are open.The shops and branches workplace guidance was intended as guidance for those businesses on how they could operate safely when the regulations permitted them to do so after the first national lockdown and beyond. It does not have a direct bearing on the timing for reopening of the businesses included in the guidance.As announced by the Prime Minister, we intend to publish our plan for taking the country out of lockdown in the last week of February. That plan will depend on the continued success of our vaccination programme, and on a sustained reduction in Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations.